Coronavirus

The WHO has declared the Covid-19 outbreak to be a pandemic. But what is the difference between Epidemic, Pandemic and Endemic ? Let’s find out.

Epidemic

An epidemic, as explained by the WHO, is the regional outbreak of an illness that spreads unexpectedly. It refers to an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease beyond what is normally expected in the population of an area.

Examples of epidemics in India in the past include the outbreaks of zika virus, chikungunya and dengue fever.

Pandemic

Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread across countries and continents — the worldwide spread of a new disease.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Endemic

The term endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area. For example, chickenpox is considered endemic in the UK, but malaria is not.

Why call COVID-19 a pandemic now?

After 118,000 positive cases of COVID-19 across 114 countries, it was clear that the virus has surpassed the definition of an epidemic.

Illnesses are often considered pandemic when the disease-causing agent differ from strains currently circulating among humans and has the ability to infect people easily.

Coronavirus has spread swiftly and no vaccines or treatment have been officially found yet. So, declaring it a global pandemic is of urgency to contain its spread.

About Coronaviruses

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.